Video via @EndIsolation: How to Tour an Immigration Detention Facility

In honor of the National Visitation Month of Action and International Migrants Day (yesterday) CIVIC is releasing a manual entitled “A Guide to Touring U.S. Detention Facilities and Building Alliances.” In September 2011, ICE announced the creation of a new policy, commonly referred to as the Visitation Directive. The Visitation Directive provides access to detention facilities for any organization or group of individuals that wishes to tour a facility and interview individuals in immigration detention.

CIVIC’s new manual provides step-by-step instructions on how to utilize ICE’s Visitation Directive with the specific purpose of starting a visitation program. As many of you know, visitation programs can literally take years to get started. However, the Visitation Directive offers an opportunity to begin a conversation on starting a visitation program with local jail staff and ICE. In the past year, we have seen this strategy work for some groups who have started visitation programs in a matter of months!

Check out CIVIC’s video above that explains more about the manual and follows a group that toured/visited a detention facility using ICE’s Visitation Directive. Download the full manual here and join us this Thursday for our monthly conference call (details below).